Handle-clasp.



C. W. BLUE.

HANDLE CLASP. (Application filed Aug. 1, 1901.)

(No Model.)

Witnesses m: Nunms PETERS w. PHUTO-LITNO wuuniniou, a, a

PatentedjMar. l8, I902;

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHILTON w. BLUE, or MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

HANDLE-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 695,599, dated March 18,1902.

Application'filed August 1, 1901. Serial No. 70,521. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, CHILTON W. BLUE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Montgomery, in the county of Montgomery, State of Alabama,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Handle- Clasps andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to baskets in general, and more particularly tothehandles thereof, and it has specific reference 7 to means for holdingthe handles onto the ordinary woodenveneer baskets, such as are employedin shipping fruits, the object of the invention being to provide asimple and efficient construction of clasp which will permit of thebaskets being shipped with the handles flat, after which the handles maybe easily and quickly adjusted to place and will be held securelyagainst displacement.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understoodfrom'the following description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a transverse section through a basket equipped with thepresent clasp and showing a handle in place and held thereby.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a clasp detached from the basket.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a basket 5 of the usualconstruction and consisting of wood veneer suitably held together, andagainst the outer face of the basket at each side thereof is secured oneof the handle fastenings or clasps. 'Each handle fastening or claspisformed, preferably,-

of block-tin or other suitable metal having a degree of springiness, andconsists of a central portion 6, the ends of which are bent at rightangles thereto, as shown at 7, and then outwardly inopposite directionsto form the feet 8, through the medium'of which the device is attachedtothe' basket-body, the feet being perforated and having nails passedtherethrough and clenched. With this con- I struction it will be seenthat the body portion of the clasp is held a slight distance from theouter face of the basket-body, this distance being sufficient to permitofthe passage of the end of a wooden basket-handle 9 between the bodyand the side of the basket, the outer face of each end of thebasket-handle having a notch 10 therein, the lower wall 11 of which liesat right angles to the face of the handle, while the other wall slopesupwardly therefrom.

At the upper edge of the body or central portion 6 of the clasp thereis-formed an extension, which is bent inwardly and downwardly to liequite close to the body, but not touching it, and the lower end of thebent portion is bent outwardly at an obtuse angle to the upper portionand at an acute angle to the body. When the endsof the handle arepressed into position behind the portions 6, they engage thespring-tongues formed by the bent extensions and press them toward thebodies of the clasps until the ends of the handle may pass beyond thelower edges of the tongues. When the handle has been pressed downwardlya sufficient distance, the ends of the tongues spring outwardly into thenotches and by engagement with the bottom walls thereof preventwithdrawal of the handle.

In practice modifications of the specific con-- struction shown may bemade and any suitable materials and proportions may be used for thevarious parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is Y A handle-clasp consisting of a sheet of metalincluding a central body portion having its ends bent at an anglethereto and then outwardly to form attaching-feet, said bodyporvtionhaving an extension at its upper edge which is bent downwardlybetween the attaching-feet and in close proximity to the body of theplate and having its lower portion bent away from the body of the plateand at an acute angle thereto to form a spring-tongue.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHILTON W. BLUE.

Witnesses:

W. L. HUDSON, W'. N. COX;

